


like those stars that surround you

by ingelicrain



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloé is actually nice for once, adrien is oblivious as heck but still a good friend, eventual marinette/adrien, i don't really know where this story is going, marinette is a mess and a savage (but still a good friend)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 10:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19810300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ingelicrain/pseuds/ingelicrain
Summary: Lila's leaving Paris, but that would spoil Hawkmoth's plans, so naturally, Gabriel gets involved.And drags Adrien with him.orin which adrien's forced to date lila who is a general b*tch about it, marinette's trying to keep it together, alya's furious about the whole thing, and nino's just trying to calm everybody down.





	like those stars that surround you

**Author's Note:**

> this is another flight-of-fancy that came to me at four a.m. when I was studying for finals back in May and I was running on two RedBulls and zero hours of sleep. I don't know exactly where I'm going to end this, but probably not all the way to Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Hawkmoth, unless people really want me to.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> inga

“Sir,” Nathalie says. “I have some news.”

“Go on, then.” Gabriel folds his hands behind his back and stares expectantly at Nathalie. “Lila has just contacted me. She says her mother and father are determined to move out of Paris, or if they can’t get a transfer for their jobs to another city, then at least to move her out. Apparently her lies about numerous akumas have backfired on her.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Gabriel says. Nathalie nods. “Our plans could be invalidated without her.”

“It would be hard to replace her,” Gabriel says finally, after a long silence. “She’s a good ally. There are not many people with such a hatred of Ladybug and certainly none as cunning or willing as Volpina.”

“You can’t give her power to someone else?”

“The power has to appeal to them,” Gabriel sighs. “I can’t give them whatever I want to give them. One of the drawbacks of the Butterfly Miraculous, I suppose. Unless there’s a way around it. Nooroo?”

“Y-yes, Master?”

“I know you were eavesdropping, you little insect, so answer my question.” Nooroo gulps and looks at the floor. “I-I don’t know, Master. The p-powers you give must relate to the person’s desire in some way. I-If there’s a way around it, I wouldn’t know, anyway. O-only the Guardian of the Miraculous would.”

“The Guardian again,” Gabriel hisses. “We’re running out of time with Emilie, too. I can’t hold her in stasis for more than a year, maybe a year and a half, before she leaves. No, we need Lila. See to it that her parents do not get a transfer.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll keep thinking of ways to keep Lila here. In the meantime, continue searching for Chat Noir’s identity.”

“Yes, sir. If I may?”

“Continue.”

“Lila’s parents need motivation to keep Lila here. For all we care, her parents could leave Paris, as long as Lila stays. Correct?”

“Yes. What’s your point?”

“Money is quite the motivator.”

“You want us to pay them to stay in Paris?” Gabriel scoffs. “That would never work.”

“Of course not. It would lead to suspicion. But what if they were to lose money in some way? What if, for example, they were demoted, making less than they originally were. We can ensure that their current jobs are the only ones that they will get for a while. So, they’ll be making significantly less than they were before and sooner or later, they’ll be in debt.”

“I don’t see how this helps us,” Gabriel says impatiently. “I can feel a negative emotion, a strong one. I need to go before it dies down.”

“Of course. So now they’re in debt, hypothetically. What if Lila began to make money? She could procure a job, for instance, in your office, that would pay well and require her to stay here. We could assure her parents that she will have a bodyguard, if they’re still against the idea at that point.”

Gabriel is silent for a moment. Then he begins nodding. “Yes, that would work,” he says. “Excellent idea, Nathalie. Push off your office work today and start on keeping Lila in Paris. Be sure to inform her of the plan.”

“There is one small drawback, however.”

“Go ahead.”

“It would be strange,” Nathalie says, “for a girl in lycée who no one has ever heard of, despite her lies about knowing Jagged Stone or Prince Ali, to begin working for you, although she has no experience in fashion and no connection to you.”

“That’s true,” Gabriel says. He shakes his head. “And when it was going so well. What do you propose, then?”

Nathalie smiles thinly. “I have an idea for that too.” Gabriel nods, urging her to go on. “It involves Adrien.”


End file.
